Fan mailing card folder



April 11, 1944. v. MARTIN 7 FAN MAILING CARD FOLDER Filed Oct. 9, 1941 mm m m BY Vernon Mari/7? f 4/497 HTTORNEYS Patented Apr. 11, 19442,346,596 FAN MAILING CARD FOLDER Vernon Martin, Wilmington, Del.,assignor to Kaumagraph Company, a corporation of New York ApplicationOctober 9, 1941, Serial No. 414,251

10 Claims.

This invention relates to advertising articles and more particularly toan advertising article foldable to the size of a post card for mailingpurposes and which when received can be easily and readily refolded intoanother article such as a fan upon the surfaces of which anadvertisement is displayed.

Fan mailing card folders heretofore proposed comprise a fan portion andan element or elements attached thereto to constitute a handle. This useof two or more parts to make a foldable fan for mailing purposes notonly requires separate operations to prepare the parts but also one ormore operations to secure the parts together. These operations, ofcourse, add to the manufacturing and assembling costs of the finishedarticle. Thus, since post card folders, in order to be practical asadvertising media, must be inexpensive to make, such folders asheretofore proposed are not satisfactory because of the two or moreparts involved and the several operations required in the commercialproduction thereof.

One of the objects of the present invention therefore is to provide anadvertising article, such as a fan mailing card folder, which can beeasily and inexpensively manufactured.

Another object of the invention is to provide an advertising articlemade from a single sheet of paper or other suitable material foldable tothe size of a post card and refoldable into a useful fan.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a fan mailing cardfolder comprising a single sheet of material which, after it has beenfolded to the size of a post card can be easily refolded into a fanhaving a relatively stiff handle.

The above and additional objects of the invention are obtained by takinga suitably shaped sheet of relatively stiff paper'or other materialhaving the desired stiffness and flexibility and folding r lining it forfolding along two lines disposed at right angles to each other andtransverse of the sheet to form overlapping quarters which. when folded,constitute an article substantially the size of a post card. Two of thequarters are provided with openings andthe sheet of paper is slitinwardly along one of the transverse lines to form flaps on two ofthequarters. The flaps thus formed are folded along lines inclineddiagonally with respect to the transverse lines through the openingsformed in the other two quarters.

The quarters containing the flaps may be shaped similar to the shape ofthe two other quarters or they may be given any other suitable shape toform a suitable handle portion since they are folded on the inside whemthe sheet is folded for mailing purposes. When the flaps are folded andthe corner portions thereof are inserted in the openings contained inthe other two quarters of the fan portion of the sheet, the overlappingflap portions reinforce the fan portion and constitute therefor arelatively stiff handle. The sheet is provided with advertisingillustrations and printed matter so located that when the sheet isfolded as a fanthe advertising is noticeably displayed. I

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is had to thefollowing detailed description to be read in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in plan of the sheet of paper before it is folded;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of the sheet of paper folded to postcard size;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective showing the sheet of material folded inthe form of a fan; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing an alternative formof the invention.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, a sheet of paper !0 isshown to be provided with transverse lines l2 and I4 disposed at rightangles to each other to divide the sheet into quarters l6, l1, l8 andI9. These lines indicate the lines along which the sheet of paper I0 isadapted to be folded to the size of a post card (Fig. 2). r The edgeportions of the sheet of paper are slit inwardly along the outer ends ofthe transverse line I4 at 20 and 22. The quarters l8 and I9 are providedwith lines 24 and 26 inclined diagonally with respect to the transverselines [2 and 14. The lines 24 and 26 extend from the inner ends of theslits 20 and 22, respectively, and terminate at the end of the sheetadjacent but spaced from the transverse line l2. The outer flap portions28, 29 of the quarters l8 and [9 are adapted to be folded along thediagonal lines 24 and 26 to positions overlying portions of thetransverse lines [2 and I4 substantially covering the inner portions ofthe quarters l8 and I9 and overlapping adjacent parts of the and cornerportions of the flaps are inserted quarters I6 and I1. Thus folded, theflaps 28,

29 not only provide a stiff handle of triple thickness, but alsoreinforce and stifien the fan portion at the transverse lines l2 and [4.

The quarters l6 and I! are provided with openings 30 and 3| shown to bein the form of slots, but which may be of any other suitable shape, ifdesired, into which the corner portions 32 and 33 of the flaps 28 and 29can be inserted. The corner portion 32 is shown hook-shaped to hookthrough the opening 30 to lock the flaps in folded position.

By folding the flaps 28 and 29, as shown in Fig. 3, and inserting thecorner portions 32 and 33 through the openings 30 and 3| a stiff handleis provided for the fan portion, thereby providing a useful fan which isrelatively rigid, inexpensive to manufacture and which may bearadvertising matter. Any suitable illustrations or printed matter may beapplied to the sheet of paper and be so located thereon as to beobservable to others as well as to the person using the article as afan. Additional printed matter may also be provided on the handleportion and/ or suitable color added to make a pleasing article.

The flaps 28 and 29 may be given any desired shape and as shown in thedrawing have their lower corners trimmed at 34 and 36 so that when theflaps are folded inwardly, the edges 34 and 36 lie substantiallyparallel to and closely adjacent the diagonal lines 24 and 26.

Referring to Fig. 4 of the drawing, an alternative form of the inventionis shown wherein the flaps 28 and 29' thereof are provided withhook-shaped corner portions 32' and 33', respectively. The flaps 28' and29 may be folded in overlapping relation the same as the flaps 28 and 29shown in Fig. 3, but as shown in Fig. 4 may also be folded over oppositesides of the sheet of material with the corner portion 32' extendingrearwardly through the opening 30 and the corner portion 33 extendingforwardly through the opening 3|. The corner portions 32 and 33' areeach hook-shaped for hooking engagement in the openings 30 and 3 l.

Whether the flaps of either embodiment are folded over each other asshown in Fig. 3 or folded over opposite sides of the sheet of paper asshown in Fig. 4, each embodiment and either manner of folding provides asubstantially rigid fan and a sturdy handle of triple thickness for thefan.

- Wherever in the pending claims th word "paper is used in describingthe sheet of material it is to be understood that such term is intendedto cover other materials as well as paper so long as the material hasthe stiffness and yet sufficiently flexible qualities to hold its shapein folded forms and yet lends itself readily to refolding.

While I have shown and described but two forms of my invention, it is tobe understood that various changes in the details of structure and i theproportions and arrangement of the parts may be made without departingfrom the invention, which is not to be deemed as limited other- Wisethan as indicated by the language of the appended claims.

I claim: I

1. A fan mailing card folder comprising a relatively stiff sheet ofpaper provided with fold lines along which itis foldable from anextended fiat form to the size of a post card and having other foldlines along which it is refoldable from said extended flat form andalong different lines into a form in which one unlined part of the sheetoverlies parts of each of said first mentioned lines and is positionedto form a fan of relative stiffness and to oppose bending of the sheetalong said first mentioned lines.

2. A fan mailing card folder comprising a sheet of paper provided withfold lines along which the sheet is foldable to the size of a post cardand having other fold lines along which it is refoldable so that atleast one unlined part will overlie parts of the first mentioned linesto oppose folding along the first mentioned lines and form a fan ofrelative stiffness, said sheet havin at least one opening therein, andsaid one unlined part having a hooked shaped portion adapted to beinserted through said opening to hold the sheet in the form of a fan.

3. A fan mailing card folder comprising a sheet of material having twosets of fold lines thereon, one of which sets is arranged to permitfolding of the sheet to the size of a post card and the other of whichsets is arranged to permit folding of the sheet to the form of a fan,one section of the sheet formed by the second mentioned set of foldlines being formed to extend across one of the first mentioned set offold lines to resist folding of the sheet along the latter line when thesheet is folded to form a fan.

4. A fan mailing card folder comprising a sheet of paper having a foldline extending from one edge of the sheet to the opposite edge of thesheet, and a pair of fold lines extending convergingly from said foldline towards a third edge of the sheet, said sheet being slitted alongthe first mentioned fold line from each edge to the adjacent fold lineof said pair to permit lateral portions of said sheet to be folded alongsaid converging folding lines to positions wherein said lateral portionsextend across first mentioned fold lines and resist folding of saidsheet along said first mentioned line.

5. A fan mailing card folder comprising a sheet of paper foldable alonglines to the size of a post card, the sheet being slit inwardly from anedge thereof to form a flap, said sheet having an opening therein inspaced relation to said flap and the marginal edges of said sheet, saidflap being foldable When the sheet is unfolded from the post card sizeinto a position in which an unlined part thereof extends across portionsof said lines with a corner portion thereof insertable through saidopening to form with the rest of the sheet a relatively stiff fan.

6. A fan mailing card folder comprising a sheet of paper provided withintersecting fold lines along which the sheet is foldable to the size ofa post card, the sheet being slit inwardly at two opposite edgeportions, and the two outer portions of the sheet on one side of theslits being formed with fold lines to define parts foldable acrossportions of said lines to form a relatively stiff fan having a fanportion of single thickness and a handle of multiple thickness.

'7. A fan mailing card folder comprising a sheet of paper having foldlines disposed substantially at right angles to each other andtransversely of the sheet to aid in folding the sheet to the size of apost card, the sheet being slit inwardly at two opposite edge portions,and the two outer portions of the sheet on one side of the slits beingformed with fold lines diagonal to and on opposite sides of One of saidtransverse lines to aid infolding parts thereof to a position overlyingeach other and overlying parts of said transverse lines to form arelatively stiff fan having a handle of multiple thickness.

8. A fan mailing card folder comprising a sheet of paper foldable alonglines disposed substantially at right angles to each other andtransversely of the sheet to form overlapping quarters, eachsubstantially the size of a post card, at least one of two adjacentquarters being provided with an opening therein, said sheet having slitsalong the outer portions of the line dividing said two adjacent quartersfrom the other two quarters, and the outer portions of said other twoquarters being foldable inwardly across portions of said transverselines to form a fan portion of single thickness and a handle portion ofmultiple thickness, and a part of one of said outer portions beinginsertable through said opening to hold the sheet in the form thusfolded.

9. A fan mailing card folder comprising a sheet of material foldablealong transverse lines to form overlapping quarters, with at least twoof the quarters substantially the size of a post card, said two quarterseach having openings therein and adapted to constitute the outermostquar ters when the sheet is folded to post card size,

said sheet having slits along the outer ends of the line separating saidouter two quarters from the other two quarters, the outer portions ofsaid other two quarters being foldable as flaps along lines diagonal tosaid transverse lines and into positions in which they overlie saidintersecting lines, and a part of each of said flaps being insertableinto one of said openings to hold the sheet in the form thus folded.

10. A fan mailing card folder comprising a relatively stifi sheet ofpaper formed with intersecting fold lines dividing the sheet into fourportions for folding to the size of a post card, at least one of saidportions being formed with an additional fold line extending in adirection diagonal to said intersecting lines for folding said sheet sothat an unlined portion thereof will overlie at least a portion of eachof said intersecting fold lines of the sheet to form a fan which isreinforced against bending along said intersecting fold lines.

VERNON MARTIN.

